What do you want to see?

First of all, decide what it is exactly that you want to achieve from your trip. Different parks offer different species, so pick places which are home to the wildlife you most want to see. Africa is a huge place so you’ll only be able to see a small part of it during your trip.

Make sure you’ve done your research and decided which sights are your priorities. Each National Park has a different personality; with open savannahs, beaches, mountains and deserts, there’s one for you no matter what you want.

When should you book?

What time of year you visit Africa really depends on what you want to see. The wildebeest migration is during July and August in the Maasi Mara, but this makes it peak time for tourists.

During the off season (over European winter and spring), there are fewer tourists. This is the perfect time to see game viewing, but the coast isn’t at it’s best then. There are pro’s and con’s for any time of year.

How should you book?

Booking a safari can be complicated as you want to pack as much in as possible. Speaking to the experts is a definite must, especially if it is your first time in Africa or your first safari.

People like Safari Club can make the booking process much easier, and it’s reassuring to know you’ve booked with people who are in the know.

What should you pack?

You want to look the part, but you also absolutely must dress sensibly for a safari holiday. Think beige and khaki, with neutral colours being your main colour themes. You’ll want your clothes to be light and airy, as funnily enough, it gets very hot in Africa!

Long shirts and trousers will protect you from the sun and keep you warm when it gets cooler in the evenings. You’ll also need proper walking boots to keep you protected during the hikes through the bush.

Do I need equipment?

Even if you’re not an avid photographer, you’ll regret not taking a camera of some sort with you. There are so many amazing sights and fascinating creatures to be seen, and you’ll want to be able to look back on them when you get home.

Binoculars are also useful; you may not be able to get too close to some animals and in some parks. These will allow you to see the wildlife up close and personal even if they’re a distance away.

Once your holiday is booked and planned, just start the countdown! Get lots of sleep before you go, and make sure you’re packed in advance. During your trip, keep yourself safe and enjoy it! It’s a once in a lifetime trip for many, so turn your phone off and make the most of your African safari.

Located in the Yucatán Peninsula, in the south east of Mexico, the luxury hotel is ideal for a getaway with friends and family, or as a couple.

Encouraging disconnection from technology and total immersion in nature, as well as human interaction, the establishment provides guests with everything they need to unplug, unwind, and indulge in a very refreshing stay.

Between the ideal location, the comfortable rooms, numerous amenities and services, and activities, the hotel ticks all the boxes to create a memorable stay in Tulum.

Heavenly Location in Soliman Bay

Surrounded by the clear, turquoise waters of the Carribean, the Tulum resort offers wonderful views but also benefits from the fact that Soliman Bay is sheltered from the elements.

This excellent geographical situation means visitors can swim, snorkel, or paddleboard at any time of the year.

Besides water sports and relaxation on the beach, the area allows for historical expeditions, as archeological sites can be found nearby.

Also, the philosophy behind the creation of Jashita Hotel is to enable and strengthen the connection with nature.

Ignoring all distractions, visitors can therefore learn to respect and admire the extraordinary beauty and magic of the surrounding environment.

Welcoming and Comfortable Atmosphere

In addition to its location, what makes the hotel a great choice for a vacation in Tulum is the homely rooms and suites.

Equipped with all necessary commodities and decorated with great taste, they allow guests to get some rest and indulge in a pleasant, peaceful environment.

Whether they are waterfront or beachfront, all the suites feature a wide range of amenities to make life easy and convenient during the length of the stay.

While visitors can take advantage of the swimming pool, beach palapa, and lounge area, they also enjoy delicious food at the Sahara Café restaurant, offering Mexican, Italian, and international specialties.

Fun Activities and Relaxation

The resort offers a large selection of services and activities that cater to everyone, whether they want to get active or simply pamper themselves.

Numerous water sports can be practiced in the surrounding bay, and scuba diving and snorkeling lessons are provided by an instructor, as well as fishing trips. It is also possible to play golf at a nearby course, or even to kitesurf or take a kayak trip.

Running sessions on the beach are also a wonderful way to work out while admiring the incredible scenery of the Yucatán Peninsula.

If gentle exercise or relaxation is what the doctor ordered, yoga lessons are offered, as well as massages.

]]>http://travelntips.com/tulum-riviera-maya-mexico/feed/0Kenya Safarihttp://travelntips.com/kenya-safari/
http://travelntips.com/kenya-safari/#commentsFri, 15 Nov 2013 14:45:33 +0000http://travelntips.com/?p=75The road from the airport of Mombasa which takes you to Watamu has something magical.

In Africa, Watamu is the part of Kenya that have a lot to offer. It is the number one tourist destination since it has a nice beach and easy access to a variety of excursions .

By the way, on the beach you will find many, many people who, always smiling, are ready to sell you any kind of package, with much cheaper prices than those of the resort and some of them are well recommended in the web world.

You can, for instance, buy a package at a cost of $350 ( including meals and overnight stay in the wilderness) which offers : Safari to Tsavo East, Safari Blue and a tour around Malindi, another town not far from Watamu.

The two safari of this tour are amazing.

Tsavo East National Park

The safari to Tsavo East National Park is certainly the most ‘popular’.

Located about three hours from Watamu, is an experience that cannot be missed!

A Kenya postcards view, with all imaginable animals free in their habitat area and a short distance from the jeep at sunset giraffes, elephants, rhinos, lions and many others.

It allows you to make a short stop before going into the wilderness, in order to see the crocodiles and monkeys.

But watch out for the sunglasses, the little monkeys seem to have a certain predisposition to steal them!

Usually this experience lasts two days, because there are also places to sleep inside the park.

Just imagine the excitement of waking up at dawn with the amazing sight in front of your eyes !

Safari Blue

Photo credit @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/59523075@N06/8364816880/

The Safari Blue starts when they come to pick you up early in the morning with a funny boat with two floors : you place upstairs if you want to sunbathe or downstairs if you prefer to stay in the shade.

The first stop is the water!

Providing all mask, snorkel and fins, the staff allow you to experience something truly amazing.

The snorkeling is wonderful, colorful , fantastic! It does not last a lot, because there are so many other things to see.

Passing through the mangroves, you will arrive to the island of Waka Waka , completely tropical intact.

On this island, there is a village of funny Kenyans who show tourists their ‘wedding dance’ (they say it is still part of the tradition) and then inviting women to join in the dancing.

The excursion also includes a lunch on the sea of shellfish, rice and other delicacies.

Children of Kenya

In general Kenyans are wonderful people, very hospitable and incredibly cheerful.

The suggestion is, if you have something extra such as shampoo, shower gel or drugs, to leave everything to them. Their smiles will reward you!

The children of Kenya every morning go to the bore to fill the buckets, because most of them do not have running water or standard electricity in the house. Just consider that sometimes the wells are located 5 or 6 km.

The children of Kenya when stretching their hands towards you, they do not want money (really poor families still use the barter system, so often for them money is useless), but they will be full of joy at the sight of a piece of candy or a marker.

The children of Kenya have nothing! Yet they play together, shoulder to shoulder, and live in perfect harmony sharing everything.

There is always something new to learn in every country you will visit!

]]>http://travelntips.com/kenya-safari/feed/1Zanzibar : a True Natural Paradise immersed in Indian Oceanhttp://travelntips.com/zanzibar/
http://travelntips.com/zanzibar/#respondWed, 23 Oct 2013 15:18:48 +0000http://travelntips.com/?p=66Zanzibar is a true natural paradise, a pearl immersed in Indian Ocean. Here you can admire colors that you will never see anywhere else in the world.

The first time you find yourself in front of this magnificent sea, you can only gasp.

The fast flow of the tides gives the real show of colors, as the sea acquires infinite shades of blue that change very quickly.

The beautiful white beaches are able to give more prominence to the ocean, making the landscape a continuous postcard.

But despite the beauty, it is worth considering that Zanzibar offers small seaside resorts very different from each other.

Here below are described the three main zones so that you can understand where you want to stay.

The North Coast of Zanzibar

The most significant towns in the north of the island are Nungwi and Kendwa.

In general, this part of the island, is less sensitive to tidal flow and for this reason it is viable bathing in every hour of the day.

Nungwi is larger than Kendwa and the majority of the accommodations are located here. It has a very tourist center but you can just move in the far north to find an oasis of tranquility.

In fact, the area near the lighthouse still retains a very genuine character thanks to the wonderful beach where the villagers use to build their traditional boats : the dhows.

At Nungwui the beaches are not huge and rocks alternate with picturesque beaches of fine sand.

Kendwa, smaller than Nungwi and with a lot less charming town, is located near one of the most beautiful beaches of the island.

Here you will find lovely colors and the chance to go for long walks away from chaos.

At low tide you can move between these two locations walking on the beach for about 40 minutes. Both offer accommodation ranging from large resorts to the most convenient suitable for backpackers.

Tip :

it’s very comfortable from this location to go for the excursion around the island of Mnemba to do snorkeling.

The East Coast of Zanzibar

Most affected by the phenomenon of the tides is the coast to the east, in particular the location of Kiwengwa.

The beaches are wide and bathing, although a bit more difficult than in the north, is almost always feasible.

Even on this coast you can still find places a little less touristy as Uroa and Pongwe, whose beaches are a little less long.

Tip :

the closest excursion in this area is the one to the capital Stone Town, which is far an hour and bring you to visit the spice plantation.

The South Coast of Zanzibar

The south coast is known for two locations : Paje and Jambiani.

Most frequented by backpackers and lovers of kite surfing, this part of the coast is strongly affected by the phenomenon of the tides that transform the surrounding landscape with amazing speed.

This game of tides gives the most beautiful colors you can see all over the island.

In Paje you can observe more closely the women engaged in the cultivation and harvesting of algae. It is characterized by a huge white beach frequented mostly by kite surfer who find their own paradise in this resort.

Jambiani, which is about a 40 minute walk on the beach from Paje, is a very lively village whose stone houses directly face the beach making the landscape particularly striking.

In this area there are no large resorts but rather little structures and many cheap accommodations.

Tip:

from here it is particularly comfortable the hike to the Jozani Forest which is only 20 minutes drive away and the trip to see the dolphins in the far south of the island.

Although you should visit yourself Zanzibar to check the fantastic views, I hope that these few lines may be useful to those who still have not the fortune to travel there.

May be some day!

Photo credit Zanzibar @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_heinrich/

]]>http://travelntips.com/zanzibar/feed/0The Majestic and Spectacular Victoria Fallshttp://travelntips.com/victoria-falls/
http://travelntips.com/victoria-falls/#respondMon, 23 Sep 2013 09:59:22 +0000http://travelntips.com/?p=36If you plan a trip to Africa, then you need to visit those who are not only among the largest waterfalls, but also the most beautiful and the most majestic of our planet : the Victoria Falls.

They are on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. They are also called by locals as Mosi -oa- Tunya, in other words as “the smoke that thunders”.

Victoria Falls Details

Victoria Falls born from the mountains of Zambia, specifically from the Zambezi River, one of the most important in Africa.

They have a long face of about 1 ½ kilometers and they are approximately 128 m high.

Between January and April, shortly after the summer rains, the mist of the waterfall rise up to a thousand meters preventing the view of this amazing show.

The famous Scottish explorer David Livingstone was the first Westerner to visit the falls in 1855. He gave the name to the falls of Victoria, in honor of the Queen of England of that time.

What makes these falls so fascinating is not only the grandeur and majesty, but the landscape context in which they are located.

All these features make the Victoria Falls a unique place that you can hardly forget.

Visiting Victoria Falls

It’s possible to visit these waterfalls both from Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe ) and Livingstone (Zambia), because they are located on the border.

It would be advisable to visit the falls from both sides, but not always you could have this chance.

Small technical notes :

Zambia visa is $50, Zimbabwe visa is 30$, the entrance to the visit of the falls is instead $30.

The helicopter ride is not cheap , $130 for each person, but it is absolutely worth it. In fact, seeing them from the sky, you will be aware of their greatness, and above all, you won’t lose the environmental context.

From the helicopter you see a huge crack in the earth, a long and narrow gorge from which, with great stateliness, a quantity of water goes down in a really impressive force.

Moreover, again by the view from the top, you can easily recognize the two different sides of Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls from the sky

There are many activities that you can do at Victoria Falls, some of them are also very adrenaline-fueled, among which is particularly famous the bungee jumping from the bridge that marks the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This is the third highest jump in the world!

Then there is the opportunity to walk the course of the Zambezi River in a canoe or kayak and organize a range of excursions on foot to explore this fascinating area.